human-origin
|hu-man-or-i-gin|
🇺🇸
/ˌhjuːmənˈɔrɪdʒən/
🇬🇧
/ˌhjuːmənˈɒrɪdʒɪn/
from people / caused by people
Etymology
'human-origin' is a modern English compound formed from 'human' (from Latin 'humanus', meaning 'of man, human') and 'origin' (from Latin 'origo', meaning 'beginning, source').
'human' entered English via Old French and Latin 'humanus'; 'origin' came into English from Old French 'origine' and Latin 'origo'. The compound 'human-origin' is a more recent English formation combining these two words to describe source or causation connected to people.
Individually, 'human' originally meant 'of man' and 'origin' meant 'beginning' or 'source'; over time the compound came to be used specifically to indicate that something's source or cause is people (i.e., 'originating from humans').
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
the origin or source of humans or of something that comes from humans; (in anthropology) the beginning or source of humankind.
Researchers study human-origin to learn when and where modern humans first appeared.
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Adjective 1
originating from human beings; caused by or coming from people rather than from natural, animal, or environmental sources (used attributively, e.g. 'a human-origin infection').
The investigation concluded the contamination was human-origin, not caused by wildlife.
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Last updated: 2025/10/11 00:54